


Wrapped Up

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Community: 1-million-words, Established Relationship, F/M, Het, Rare Pair, Romance, Spoilers for 3.02 Paradox
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 20:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8299339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Caitlin's been keeping a secret from everyone.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt for the five senses challenge, I went with sensation: contentedly contained/ensconsed -- i.e. warm/woolen/wrapped up/sheltered/protected/  
> nestled/snuggled

When the knock came to her door late that night, Caitlin took her time before answering it, debating if she really wanted to talk to anyone, if she could have yet another conversation full of lies. Walking to the door, she looked through the peephole, closed her eyes when she saw Joe standing there. Even the distorted image showed his frown and she knew, she knew she should tiptoe away, pretend she wasn't there, pretend she was asleep and didn't hear him. 

She opened the door. 

"Hey." His face brightened into a smile, if not quite the full wattage version. "I wasn't sure if you had company..."

It was an easy opening for them, a way of asking if she was alone that wouldn't arouse suspicions if she weren't, a carry over from the days that they were hiding their relationship before they realised that that would be just another stick for Iris to beat him with. "Just me," she said, trying to smile but knowing it didn't get far. 

Judging by the frown on his face, it may have been a worse attempt than she'd imagined. "Can I -" He gestured over her shoulder and she nodded, stepping back to let him in. 

He didn't sit down once they were in her living room, turned to face her and rubbed a hand over his face. "I haven't seen much of you lately." It was a light observation but she could hear the question underneath it. 

So she did what she'd been doing for the last couple of weeks. 

She lied. 

"With you and Iris talking again," she tried, "I thought I'd give you a bit of space... I mean, it's not as if she was exactly thrilled about us..."

But Joe was shaking his head backwards and forwards. "This started before Iris and me," he countered. She bit her lip and looked down, heard him take a step towards her. "Caitlin, what's wrong with you?" 

"Nothing." The second she heard her voice, she knew she wouldn't fool anyone, especially not a man with twenty years job experience of ferreting out liars, to say nothing of a man who knew her as intimately as he did. The word came too quickly, was too high pitched, almost hysterical. The tears that stung her eyes didn't help either. 

"Caitlin..." He broke off when one of his hands closed around hers and he dropped it quickly. "Jesus, you're freezing..." His voice trailed off, a dawning suspicion in his eyes. "Caitlin..."

She turned away from him, wrapped her arms around herself. "You should go." 

She heard him sigh, was expecting that the next thing she'd hear would be her front door closing. Then he felt his hands close over her shoulders, felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. "Talk to me." The words were a breath against her hair and she felt herself sag against him, letting him support her weight. 

When she felt strong enough to stand on her own, she turned to him, looked into his eyes. "Something's happening to me," she whispered. "It started a little while ago... and I'm so scared..." A tear slipped down her cheek as she held up her hand and, with very little concentration required, made funnels of cold air swirl from it. 

She couldn't take her eyes off his, so she saw the way his jaw went slack, how his eyes widened. He didn't say the words "Killer Frost" but she knew he was thinking them, just like she hadn't been able to stop thinking of them for days now. 

She was looking at his eyes so she didn't see his arms move, didn't realise they were until she was wrapped up in them, her face against his shoulder, his head resting on top of hers. Her arms went around his waist without her even having to think about it, made fists in his jacket and she held on tightly, burying her face in his chest. One of his hands came up to cup the back of her head and she took a deep breath, then another, letting the scent of him, the feel of him, surround her, envelope her. 

She hadn't known how much she needed a hug from this man until right that moment. 

"Have you told Barry?" His voice seemed to come from very far away. "Cisco?" 

She shook her head but didn't lift it from his chest. "Just you," she mumbled against him. 

"We have to tell them." The fact that he said "we" meant more to her than he would ever know. "Sweetheart, you know they'll find a way to help you." 

Caitlin lifted her head, gave voice to her worst fear. "What if I'm turning into her?" 

"You're not." He cupped her face in his hands. "You could never be her. Caitlin Snow is one of the best people I know. Whatever this is... that won't change." She opened her mouth to ask him a question but he answered it before she had a chance to. "And yes... I'm sure of that." 

She closed her eyes, suddenly dizzy with relief. Letting herself collapse against him, she let the warmth of him surround her, feeling safe and protected, feeling at peace, for the first time in what seemed like a very long time. 

"Can we stay here for a little while?" she mumbled against him and she felt him nod. 

"We can stay as long as you want," he promised. "I'm not going anywhere." 

It was the only thing Caitlin wanted to hear.


End file.
